What do you think about iOS 6? [Poll]

Well the WWDC 2012 keynote is over and now it's time for you, the iMore nation, to weigh in on all things iOS 6.

Is it a great iOS update, or the greatest iOS update? Or did Apple miss the board entirely? iOS 5 was massive and gave us a ton of previously missing features. Did iOS 6 do the same? Did it need to?

It seems iOS 6 was mostly about improving the user experience. Apple added a ton of little features to make things easier, faster and more convenient for us. Everything from free turn-by-turn navigation to the really awesome assistance features for people and children with special needs, show a lot of thought and polish.

But on the flip side, no widgets, not fast toggles, no in-app replies -- nothing really that power users have asked for. The interface got a new coat of paint, but not a radical overhaul.

So what do you think? Did Apple knock it out of the park, did they hit a solid double, or did they strike out? Vote up top and give me your thoughts below.

GeorgiaSenior Editor at iMore and a practicing therapist specializing in stress and anxiety. She speaks everywhere from conferences to corporations, co-host of Vector, Review, and Isometric podcasts, and should be followed on Twitter @Georgia_Dow.

Meh. Minor update. Apple's playing it safe by polishing and refining rather than innovating. That's why they've lost me as a customer. I won't be back, and I've been transitioning client businesses away from Apple computers and devices for a year. It was a fun ride, but now it's boring because innovation is no longer happening.

They may have given us new features but were talking about features that should have been released a LONG time ago. I have been an avid Android and IOS user for years now and it's pains me to see Apple release new features that were available a year of not years before. With the announcement of IOS 6 due to the lack of a new user interface or Atleast tweak i can't see myself moving past the 4s, I'm strongly looking at the SG3. I love the iPhone but being a tech enthusiast I cannot see any reason to sit on a aging OS that the company seems to be taking baby steps to improve. :-(

I agree with you Keith. WAY premature to ask "what did you think of the update", when all we have so far is promises. Maybe something like "what most excites you about the upcoming announced iOS 6 update?"

maps are a big thing for me, and not having integrated transit data nor other modes of transportation is absolutely useless to me. I'm not going to be futzing around on my phone "flying over in 3D" over crap, i need to know when the earliest public transport is to my destination and how do i get there. google maps does all of this right now and now i'll need to wait for 3rd party application to do the same on apple? and possibly even spend money on the app?
i'm hoping that google will submit and apple WILL approve google's full map app for io6, otherwise i'm either stayin on ios5 or moving over to android.

I feel the same. Google has done an amazing job with small cities all over the world, I'm waiting to see how Apple will cover those. I like to travel and I'm yet to see set of vectorial maps like Google's.
It´s easy to do a 3D map of a city like NY or Chicago, but even Open Street Maps struggle with small cities in foreign countries.

I was actually really excited about Apple's Map app, but having installed the developer preview, I'm massively disappointed. Not only is it no better than the original maps app from the original iPhone, its actually WORSE and has LESS features!

I agree with you, it is stupid that they are not releasing for iPad 1. Should easily be able to make use of the new OS. That being said it also would miss out on a lot of the features as it lacks a Camera and Siri would not work on it regardless. The maps and passport apps would be cool though.

I understand why they wouldn't release iOS 6 on the iPad 1st gen. My wife had a 1st gen until we just purchased the new one on launch day. When I upgraded her old iPad to iOS 5 it was unstable and buggy. Safari would close unexpectedly every few minutes. I couldn't even browse the apple store without it crashing. Sure they could put iOS6 on the iPad but it would be a sub-par experience, and Apple is not known for delivering sub-par experiences (on purpose at least). Also they haven't sold the iPad 1st gen for over 2 years. I don't know anyone who still has a first gen. We sold ours 2-3 months before the new one was released and recovered about 50% of the original cost on ebay. I would just simply upgrade to the newest generation. Having a 1st gen and complaining about discontinued updates is like crying in the corner hugging your typewriter and demanding that it still gets updates. The hardware differences between iPad 1st gen and iPad 3rd gen are remarkably different.
iPad 1: A4 chip 1ghz, 256mb DDR ram,
iPad 2: A5 chip 1ghz (dual core), 512mb DDR2 ram,
iPad 3: A5X chip 1ghz (dual core), 1024mb DDR2 ram,(retina display)

At least Apple sports the upgrading to a point. Obviously some of those newer features will require the newer hardware. Android manufactures simply abandon one device for the next device to get the OS upgrade. Not Apple iOS6 will run on iPhone 5, iPhone 4s, iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS. Hmmm that's 4 generations. Show me a 4 generation old Android phone that has manufacturer supported ICS on it, not some hacked version of ICS

Well, YES, it was the marketing team's idea. See, this is how Apple works: get you invested in a product, then, through bloated software, slowly break it until your previously amazing device is all but unusable. Then they tell you, "Buy the new one! Time to cough up!"
That's exactly why I reversed course with my business clients. I used to recommend Apple products to them, and now I don't. Most are happier now and save a lot of money they didn't need to spend.

You could always go the Android route and just keep running the software your phone came with, never upgrading to new versions. It won't bog down then. The vast majority of Android users are using very old OS versions.

Why not jailbreak? I know most people are hesitant about it as was I... Although now that I have jail-broken my iPhone I could never go stock again. The functionality it provides is endless. Also the stability is great. I have never had an issue with it affecting my "Apple designed experience". All of the issues and complaints that I see most people talking about on iMore is the lack of this the lack of that etc.. These are the same people that are adamant about not wanting to jailbreak... Which is it people? Do you want change or do you want to sit in "Apples walled garden of iOS" and complain? Didn't mean to ramble but just a thought....

Not me. I'm a fan of the UI. Are there improvements that could be made? Absolutely. Do I want an overhauled UI every 3 generations? Absolutely not. It works. It works well.
That being said, I think Apple would do well to open up the app store to some skinning options. Not so drastic that it effects stability, but just some options to personalize and tweak.

Don't know what you people expect, iOS is just a simple grid of the best mobile apps--what's wrong with that?
Widgets on Android look like crap for the most part and hog memory, CPU and battery and you have to flip thru home screens to see them--might as well just launch an app from the springboard than have to flip around to see a widget with limited functionality and then launch an app...

You might be confused about how to use android widget. The widget will display the information so that the user does NOT have to open the application. Yes they do appear on home screens but the user can customize the size and location of each widget. It is more efficient than opening up every single application which is located on multiple pages on the springboard or in folders.

I think you and I both know that MS Windows updates do not work the same way as Android and iOS, and hopefully they never will. The updates in Windows Update are FREE and do not drastically alter the OS itself. If/when Windows 9, 10, etc are released, you'll be able to PURCHASE and install those versions on any old Windows tablet -- just as you have done with PC's for decades.
Windows Phone OS is a different story altogether, but I think you'll eventually see Windows phones migrate toward the x86 chipsets as well.
My guess is that Windows 9 will be a single unified OS that will install on phones, tablets, AND PC's.
derp.

They'd better have something significant in iP5, hopefully not just more useless Facebook integration type crap.
What's so wrong with providing springboard options to spice up the UI?
Does Apple thing we're all idiots?

Yes, yes they do.
And in my experience in IT support, they are correct in that assumption. MOST people are flat-out idiots when it comes to technology. Apple must cater to the majority. Essentially, idiot-proof their products.

If you have read Isaacson's bio of Steve Jobs, you know that one of Jobs's guiding principles for Apple was to tell people what they need-- that we don't know what we want until it is shown to us. Right or wrong, that philosophy has helped make Apple what it is today.

With enterprise software, you need user feedback early and often because the top echelon of users in any given vertical market know there business a 1000 times better than a bunch of product managers and developers. However, in the consumer market that includes the iPhone and iPad, that simply is not true, especially when applied to the broader market. Naturally, as you start targeting specific features related to advanced content creation, think Photoshop, and medical imaging, then yes specific expertise is necessary. Figuring out the easiest way to make a phone call, send a text message, look up the current weather forecast, or set an alarm does not require extensive user studies.

What is it with so many people calling the Passbook app, Passport? Is the word passport so ingrained into our brains, that Apple needs to go ahead and change the name of the passbook app now, before the world changes it for them?

I thought there were some really nice changes in IOS 6, some great integration across all platforms and some really subtle things that will be really useful, rather than gimicky (such as Photostream sharing, etc).
What's stale about the UI? If it aint broe don fix it. Apple usually do groundbreaking followed by evolutionary for a while. That means that developers and users can expect certain things without the ground moving under their feet too much in one go.
One could argue that say windows 95 through 7 are evolutionary and a bit stale. But millions of people still use it. Even Windows 8 is Windows 7 underneath, which is Windows NT effectively. All very boring IMHO. The server side, where Microsoft really make money, is a bit more interesting and better developed.
That's the beauty of diverse tastes and of a free market place there are other choices apart from IOS. i prefer IOS to other O/S's (yes Ive tried them) and even friends who have bought into other OS's wish they had bought an iphone instead. So I'm sure Apple will have enough customers to go round thank you very much.

The point is that on stock NON-ROOTED Android, YOU have the CHOICE of whether or not YOU want a simple icon grid OR a more useful homescreen with widgets. Whereas, on iOS, Apple completely controls the appearance and usefulness of YOUR entire user interface.
I know the concept of "choice" confuses a lot of you...

I am not a fan of Facebook but I am also not stupid. People calling the facebook integration "useless Facebook integration type crap" is absurd. There are almost a billion accounts on Facebook. Estimates peg them at more than one in three accounts is active daily. That is more than 330 million people using facebook every day - integrating for 330 million people is not "useless".
People in these forums will scream about wanting SBSettings like functionality in iOS - which only a couple million people have ever even heard of yet complain when Apple tries to make the experience better for as many as a billion users...
Just because you don't use something doesn't mean there aren't people out there who do.

Of those 330 million people, surely not all of them are iOS users so you can't claim it's integration into iOS 6 benefits 330 million people. On the flip side, not everyone with an iOS device has Facebook (as irrational as that may sound.)

Same here. My family has an iPad 2, the new iPad, 3 iPhone 4S, an iPod Touch, 2 Apple TVs and a Mac Mini, not to mention 2 non-Apple laptops, XBox, PS3, and Nintendo Wii, all on the same wifi network, and none of these devices ever experience problems with wifi. The only wifi problems I have ever experienced with iOS was resolved shortly after I purchased my original iPad, which I sold last year before buying the iPad 2.

What wi-fi problems are you experiencing? We have three iPhones (4 and 4S), an iPad 2 and an Apple TV 2012, and none have had issues with my home network or accessing other networks when we are out and about. We also have Windows devices and Blu-Ray players that throw up now and again and require I re-set my router, but the iOS devices have always worked on wi-fi as promised.

For me, it's not that I am disappointed by what they added, it's more that I am simply disappointed that they added so little. There are still some holes in iOS that need to be filled, and they aren't being addressed. In the meantime though, we can post to facebook from NC, ask how tall Lebron is, and keep track of movie tickets. Not that those are bad things but I still can't attach more than one document to an email....or respond to a text without being grossly inconvenienced.

I just don't understand how Apple continues to push their gradeschool email app on customers. They keep bragging about taking over enterprise business markets, but that will never happen until you can attach documents from within an email and when replying to one. I was definitely thinking about getting the next iPhone, but will pass, no matter how pretty they make it look. I am tired of not being able to use my 4S for business. Wake up Apple! You can only push "average" on consumers for so long, eventually you will have to step up to the plate and innovate without implementing technologies from other companies.

Apple is being new and exciting by being the only ones not being new and exciting. Want something new? Wait for Google to create, refine and enhance it. Then wait two years. Apple will throw in some grade school graphics and call it innovative. We just migrated everything we have phones and PCs to Apple. We bought the new iPads. We are very happy with the decision as really They all do work pretty well together. But Apple is falling way behind in this race. WAY behind. Anything and everything they do has been done for years by someone else. The only excitement at WWDC was centered around ' FINALLY".
Finally what? Finally I can have multiple signatures? Groundbreaking! Finally I get turn by turn? Theres thinking outside the box. These are all minor upgrades that people are only happy about because they have been asking for them for years. The problem is. The yard minor updates. People have been saying this should be iOS 5.5. I agree. Where are the major updates that go along with a fill jump from 5 to 6?
This update is nothing but bells and whistles. I like my iMac, my iPad and the iPhone4 that convinced me to sell all the windows crap I had and finally make the change. I will be upgrading to the new iPhone when it comes out because I am still fairly new to the lifestyle that is Apple. but when iOS 7 comes out only to finally give me walking or bus routes in maps. I will be looking at something else.

Is it just me or does it seem that (most) all the new features are already jailbreak tweaks and mods? It's nice to see that someone at apple is monitoring the jailbreak community and incorporating all the useful ideas. I would think it would make more sense to just hire some of the developers and fire the existing ones at apple. The jailbreak community breeds creative ideas with talented developers.
I am due for an upgrade next Jan for my phone, I am honestly glad I won't be getting the iPhone 5 at launch. I can wait till Jan when its been out a few months and there is a UT JB for it. Without the added functionality of JB iOS is just kinda meh....

I think it says a lot that almost 56% of the votes are below the "like" level. Can we possibly be seeing the first time an IOS is not a slam dunk? At this point in time, my JB'ed 4 will be my phone for now. Can't see why to pay for more of the same on a bigger screen.

That's a marketing ploy.
They stopped selling iPad 1 some time ago. Yet they "sell" 3GS on contract. All they're doing is supporting the 3GS with updates until those contracts expire.
Don't be disappointed, however. Once you read the small print and see all the features that the 3GS isn't getting, you'll be better off staying on iOS 5 rather than being a frustrated iOS 6 user.

For me the features demoed duing the keynote add llittle personal value, but that is only primarily because I do not use Facebook or Twitter. The Lost feature is a nice touch, but I don't plan on losing my phone anytime soon. FaceTime on cellular is a nice touch, but I don't care to see people that I'm talking on the phone with, at least not until my kids go off to college and I am a grandparent living too far away from the grand-kids to visit regularly. Turn-by-turn directions are nice, but I already have built-in navigation in my vehicles. Flyover 3D maps feature is nice, a few times a year at most.
However, hats off to the team at Apple, because this is a huge release that will appeal to a lot of people. I am experienced enough to know that not every release will be a home-run for me personally, and I am OK with that. But I also know that I will be pleased with countless other refinements to the user experience when iOS 6 is released in a few short months.

Thanks Apple for making my Ipad 2 feel like it's worth nothing now since the new Ipad will get all the features in the new IOS 6. It's hasn't been even an year and a half and your making the ipad 2 users feel like we wasted our money on something that will not be supported fully with new IOS's. Thanks!

I'm hoping the Photos app will be updated so a user can easily view a photo's metadata on my iPhone. (I know I can see it after I've downloaded the photos.) I've got over a thousand pics in my iPhone4 and it would be great to know the date and time (at least) of each photo. I envision a small "i" being displayed in the corner of every photo that, when tapped, would flip the photo over and display the metadata. Not too much to ask for, is it, Apple?

for me i feel like the updates that were shown are ok. but the people who are saying that they don't like the what was seen at the keynote are forgetting that they said there will be over 200 new features added into iOS 6. plus there is still time for them to add new "big" enhancements and features into iOS 6. just like at the last wwdc they didn't show off siri until they announced the iPhone 4s. soo i think people are jumping the ship a little too early, and they need to see what the iPhone 5 event will hold before making a decision to leave the "apple nation"

I love apple, but to be honest iOS 6 was just ok for me. This can't be everything in iOS 6. I hope apple is holding something really impressive back from this preview of iOS 6. There has to be a revolutionary feature that is exclusive to the next generation iPhone, at least I hope. In the end, I loved maps, Siri, Facebook integration which apple nailed it, passbook, and FaceTime over 3g. Just have to wait till october to see what apple has up their sleeve.

Seriously, I thought Apple would redeem itself with iOS 6 because iPhone 4S was such a small update... Apple keeps making these updates smaller and smaller... It is ridiculous... iOS 5 to iOS 6 was dumb. iOS 4 to iOS 5 was a good update. I'm just mad. I want more from appl

iPhone 4 won't get the new turn-by-turn features in iOS 6, just like it didn't get Siri. But it's still for sale, and so is the iPhone 3GS. Is Apple committing the Android sin of fragmentation, and will users rebel?
WTF Apple this is bs they just want ur money
Way down in the fine print about Apple's upcoming iOS 6, you'll find a little note that says new features like Flyover and turn-by-turn directions are only available on the iPhone 4S, or the iPad 2 or higher.
A note immediately below that says Siri is only available on the iPhone 4S or third-generation iPad.
Since the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, and iPad 2 are all actively for sale and still being marketed by Apple, I have to wonder: is Apple on the road to fragmenting the iOS experience? Could there come a future when not only do certain Apple apps and services run on some devices and not on others, but when this problem will start to plague third-party developers, as well? And even if app incompatibilities don't result, is Apple risking Android levels of user confusion as it continues to withhold features from its legacy -- but still for sale -- hardware?

Features are subject to change. Not all features are available on all devices.
Some features may not be available in all countries or all areas. Flyover and turn-by-turn navigation will be available only on iPhone 4S and iPad 2 or later. Cellular data charges may apply.
Siri will be available only on iPhone 4S and iPad (3rd generation) and requires Internet access. Siri may not be available in all languages or all areas, and features may vary by area. Cellular data charges may apply.
Shared Photo Streams requires iOS 6 on iPhone 4 or later or iPad 2 or later, or a Mac computer with OS X Mountain Lion. An up-to-date browser is required for accessing shared photo streams on the web.
FaceTime over a cellular network requires iPhone 4S or iPad (3rd generation) with cellular data capability. Carrier data charges may apply. FaceTime is not available in all countries.
VIP list and VIP and Flagged smart mailboxes will be available on iPhone 4 or later and iPad 2 or later.
Offline Reading List will be available on iPhone 4 or later and iPad 2 or later.
Made for iPhone hearing aids require iPhone 4S.
Find My Friends and Find My iPhone enable you to locate iOS devices only when they are on and connected to a registered Wi-Fi network or have an active data plan. Not available in all areas.
Major League Baseball trademarks and copyrights are used with the permission of MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
The Transamerica Pyramid Building is a registered service mark of Transamerica Corporation.

Wow look at crappy apple doing something i had on my droidx 2years ago. Now i have a droid razr maxx and soon to be galaxy s3 that will crap on crapple phone5 keep trying sue android oems.. once you go android you dont go back and yes i had a iphone 4 and got bored of it faster than fat kid eats a doughnut

Overall I think it's a solid release and was happy to see a lot of the changes. Were there things that has been speculated on that I was sad to see missing - sure - but life goes on and iOS 7 comes out in a year.
Obviously the biggest change is Maps. Using Tom Tom data and Apple tiles should make for an accurate and pretty experience, but the fact is that Apple will be playing catch-up for at least two or three years. As such, I really do hope I have Google Maps availalbe to me as an option until Apple Maps grows up a bit. Fly-over is cool and all, but I don't see the real purpose, whereas Street View has some very real applications.

I think, and this is coming from a big apple fan, it will be nice for iPhone users to finally have some more of the features those with android phones already have. Not knocking it, just would think these features would be there already.

I have a feeling that there are features in iOS 6, that were not announced at the WWDC because it would have given clues as to what the next gen iPhone would have on it.
When I was watching the WWDC video, Scott Forstall was commenting on I think it was fullscreen Safari mode for landscape orientation, he then said something along the lines of 'due to the large screen', a slip of the tongue that the next iPhone will have a larger screen??